Jennifer AlLee's The Pastor's Wife ~ Reviewed

The Pastor's Wife
By Jennifer AlLee
Published by Abingdon Press
ISBN: 978-1-426-70225-9


Description:

Maura Sullivan thought she knew what she was getting into when she married soon-to-be pastor Nick Shepherd. But when "the other woman" in her marriage turned out to be her husband's congregation, she ran.

Six years later, she's back in the small community of Granger, Ohio, for the reading of a will that names both her and Nick as beneficiaries.

Now Maura must face the husband and the congregation she left behind.


Review:

Delightful and real, the congregation had a few impossible-to-please curmudgeons I recognized as members of a church I once attended. As Maura faces the disappointments that originally drove her away from Granger, she still holds one secret locked away in her heart.

The unfolding of this story and its characters is like peeling away the layers of an onion. The deeper we went, the more their flaws became apparent. At one point, I wondered if they would manage to repair this marriage at all. Well written, I thoroughly enjoyed AlLee's debut novel, The Pastor's Wife.

Reviewed by: Ane Mulligan, editor Novel Journey

Erin Healy's The Baker's Wife ~ Reviewed

The Baker's Wife [Paperback]

Erin Healy (Author)

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Original edition (October 4, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1595547525

Description:

Before Audrey was the baker's wife, she was the pastor's wife.

Then a scandalous lie cost her husband a pastoral career. Now the two work side-by-side running a bakery, serving coffee, and baking fresh bread. But the hurt still pulls at Audrey.

Driving early one morning to the bakery, Audrey's car strikes something-or someone-at a fog-shrouded intersection. She finds a motor scooter belonging to a local teacher. Blood is everywhere, but there's no trace of a body.

Both the scooter and the blood belong to detective Jack Mansfield's wife, and he's certain that Audrey is behind Julie's disappearance.

But the case dead-ends and the detective spirals into madness. When he takes her family and some patrons hostage at the bakery, Audrey is left with a soul-damaged ex-con and a cynical teen to solve the mystery. And she'll never manage that unless she taps into something she would rather leave behind-her excruciating ability to feel other's pain.

Review:

Erin Healy blends supernatural gifting and challenging topics and bakes up a satisfying, fragrant, crusty-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside read.

Audrey was married to a pastor, and one of her ministries was delivering fresh bread she and her husband made to parishioners that God laid on her heart. However, a scandal erupts in the church and Audrey and Geoff are pushed out of the ministry and into baking as a career.

One day the unbelievable happens and the elder who pushed the hardest to have Geoff step down as pastor is in the middle of it all.

Audrey is left, with the help of an ex-con in town to atone for her past, to solve a mystery, and save those nearest and dearest to her when the situation explodes.

Healy handles some heavy topics in this unique novel including depression and religiosity vs relationship. She mixes in the Holy Spirit's working in individuals and fallout of church fractures. This is a well told story with a heavy mix of complex characters. Those who love fiction light might find this a little too overwhelming due to the topics. But Healy does a terrific job with the mixing and blending of ingredients and those who love hearty Christian fiction might want to check it out.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Jim Hamlett's Moe ~ Reviewed

Moe

Jim Hamlett

Perfect Paperback: 329 pages 

Publisher: Graceful Word

Language: English 

ISBN-10: 0982898509

Book Description:

Two are better than one...for if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 ESV

Fresh from seminary, Moses Mackenzie leaves his beloved Scotland and travels to the rural upstate of South Carolina. He searches not only for work that will give meaning to his life, but for an answer to the question that has plagued him since childhood: How does the mutation of a single gene square with being ...fearfully and wonderfully made... ?

In South Carolina, Moe meets Kirk Vaughn, pastor of the Blue Ridge Fellowship, a man desperate for a miracle. When Kirk realizes the last candidate for associate pastor is a man named Moses, he believes God may be sending a prophet with the miracle the whole church is expecting. Full of anticipation, Kirk arrives at the airport to pick up their guest, but instead of the prophet-like figure he expects, he finds a dwarf in kilt a miniature Moses-in-a-skirt.

Through circumstances that neither man envisions, Moe and Kirk are thrown into a working relationship that tests their understanding of themselves, of each other, and of what it means to be a true friend. Each man travels to the end of his own way before realizing the answer to his need lies on a path he least expects.

Moe is a story of friendship of how desperately we need at least one true friend to help us up when the inevitable trials of life put us down.

Review:

Moe is one of the more unique books I’ve read of late. Jim Hamlett has taken a modern day story about the struggles of ministry and finding God in the midst of people’s expectations and good intentions and added some surprising elements to create a charming and thought provoking tale. A young preacher from Scotland crosses “the pond” to candidate in America for an assistant pastor position. He lands to discover a polished pastor, a strong elder board and a very ill pastor’s wife. Told through revolving points of view the reader gets a glimpse into Moe’s thoughts, Pastor Kirk’s and a few other key players as the story unfolds. Ultimately this story is about the things of God, His paths, and His plans, even when they don’t make sense.

I tend to avoid self-published books. Why? I never know what I’m going to get. Is the novel going to be a rambling tribute to the author’s dream of tweed with leather patched elbows, or is the book going to be rough as a cob with points of view all over the map in a single paragraph? Will the story be trite or clichéd or will it be a well written story that just isn’t easily pigeonholed into a hot selling genre? When I agree to read a book, I take that commitment seriously so my reading time is spread pretty thin. Once I open a book I usually know within a page or two if I can review it with any amount of positivity. When I find a book I can fall into and get lost, sigh, it's such a pleasure.

That said. Moe falls into the category of a very unique storyline and one written by an author without a massive selling platform. But, Hamlett’s not fitting the mold doesn’t mean the book isn’t a good read. On the contrary, Hamlett has all the skills and abilities of a good writer and storyteller. The pacing is just right. His characters are well developed and rich and even though he has several characters he juggles I didn’t get lost in the sea of people. The writing is spare but sense triggering. And the story is compelling on several levels. Overall I’m impressed and glad Mr. Hamlett took the necessary steps to polish his manuscript because it’s well worth the time investment.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Richard Doster's Crossing the Lines ~ Reviewed

Crossing The Lines
By Richard Doster
Published by David C. Cook
ISBN# 978-1-437-9984-5
396 Pages


Back Cover:

Family man Jack Hall wants nothing more than to be respectable newspaper reporter see a good baseball game now and again, love his wife, and watch his son grow up in their middle-class, white community. Then he finds himself on the fault line where black meets whit in the American South of the late 1950’s.

Still reeling from an explosive confrontation that put his family in jeopardy, Jack takes a job with the Atlanta Constitution and moves his family south. He’s thrilled when he’s introduced to legendary editor Ralph McGill, an outspoken opponent of segregation who promptly sends Jack to Montgomery to investigate reports of a bus boycott.

There Jack meets another man on the fault line: Martin Luther King Jr. Profoundly moved by King’s commitment to Christian philosophy, Jack’s writing begins to reflect a need for racial equality and tolerance that isn’t always well received—even by his own wife.

Once again, historic events sweep Jack—and his idealistic son, Chris—into harms’ way. Will this be the collision that destroys his family forever?



REVIEW:

Richard Doster pens a heartfelt, powerful, thought provoking book that gives a broad view of when things started to forever change in the South. It was as much of a surprise to Martin Luther King, Jr. as it was to the rest of the world when a group voted him to lead a fight of justice, for all! Martin Luther tells a reporter, “There comes a time when people get tired of being plunged across the abyss of humiliation.”

Martin Luther tries to explain that this movement is not about desegregation - it’s about community. “We want the same things. We might come at it from a different direction; might see things from a slightly different angel, but we both want a place were people thrive, where they’re free, where everybody loves his neighbor.” Jack Hall, reporter for the Atlanta Constitution, doesn’t see this happening in a peaceful way—he’s scared to be part any of this movement—what will his neighbors and friends think?

To Jack, Martin Luther King says, “Justice is love correcting that which revolts against love. …. True peace—the kind the Bible talks about—has got to be more than the absence of hostility. It’s got to be the presence of something good. You can’t have peace until you’ve got justice and goodwill and honest-to-goodness brotherhood,” Jack starts to think about life in a new way after hearing Martin Luther’s speeches and his pastor’s sermons. He thinks God just might want to use him to get Martin Luther’s story out to the world.

Richard Doster has a section in the back of the book called “Fact or Fiction,” In it he describes what is real in the book and what he’s changed to help the story along. I found this helpful since I haven’t done an in-depth study of Martin Luther King Jr. or that time period before. I could never understand the hatred people had back then or why everyone was so angry; even the governor was angry enough to bring out the National Guard to stop ‘Negro’ children from entering a white school after a law had been passed to make this legal. Oh, My!! All that I read was mind boggling.

In the “author notes” page of the book, Richard says, “This is a story about how a contented Southerner grows uncomfortable with his region. It is a book about how attitudes—individual and collective—were changed, not only by events, but by the flesh-and-blood humans who transformed the Old South into the new one.” I loved this story and think it’s an important read. The author doesn’t give an account of detailed history that will put you to sleep. Instead Richard centers the story around Jack Hall and his family dynamic, as well as Jack’s relationship with Martin Luther King Jr.

The author used parts of Martin Luther’s speeches and parts from a book Martin Luther King Jr. wrote called Stride Toward Freedom (published in 1958)—along with several resources he mentions in the back of the book. This is one fascinating well-rounded glimpse into how we got closer as a country- a country moving toward the brotherhood that King envisioned. We have a long way to go, but this book tells how Martin Luther King, Jr. helped us as a nation - take one huge step for man kind, in a direction to help us love our neighbor- the way the bible tells us we can.

Reviewed by: Nora St. Laurent – Book Club Servant Leader

Denise Hildreth Jones's Secrets Over Sweet Tea ~ Reviewed

Secrets Over Sweet Tea

By Denise Hildreth Jones

Published by Tyndall

ISBN#978-1414366845

416 Pages

Back Cover: 

Secrets can be funny things. We think they keep us safe, but more often than not, they spill out when we least expect and make a mess out of everything. It’s a truth Scarlett Jo Newberry knows all too well—a truth Grace Shepherd and Zach Craig are about to learn the hard way. As the lives of this boisterous pastor’s wife, polished news anchor, and beleaguered divorce attorney intersect in the tree-lined streets of Franklin, Tennessee, scandal threatens to topple their carefully constructed worlds. Grasping at survival, they embark on a journey of friendship and courage, desperate to find a way back to laughter, love, and life.

Review: 

I’m thankful for the review copy of a book that answers the question, “What does it mean when someone says; God has healed me from the inside out? How can I let God touch the hurts in my heart and be healed?”

Denise says, “You can only live with your heart shut down for so long. Eventually you will fight for your healing or you will die… Some even find God when their lives fall apart!....Sometimes a person has to die in order to really live. ..Hungry for something real?.. (tired of just going through the motions of life and feeling numb inside?) Want to feel alive? Seek whatever helps you rediscover that carefree childlike heart I know is in there somewhere – that is what you should be doing to Feel Alive!”

This is a journey Denise’s characters having gone on and some have just started down this path. I enjoyed this cast so much they are fun, bold and each have been knocked around by life. Each has a different result.

Scarlett Jo is a Pastor’s wife that’s fun and doesn’t care what people think about her. Denise writes, “Scarlett Jo hadn’t simply survived her life. She had learned how to live inspire of it- and not to worry too much about the perceptions of others.”

Scarlett Jo is fun loving, free spirit and an inspirational person! I loved her voice and her outlook on life she says, “Oh, child do you not know about couponing?...I’m feeding a pack of wolves at my house. If I didn’t know how to coupon, my children would have had to eat me by now. But if you ever want to learn how to do it, you just let me know. It is crazy girl! I can go to a store and leave and they’ve paid me money.”

The characters in this novel welcome you in as family. They’re situations will tug at your heart. What I love about Denise’s books are you’ll be having a good time then all of a sudden she cleverly interweaves spiritual truths that pierce your heart, make you stop and think. Denise will help you “See lies we believe.” You’ll laugh out loud and get teary eyed in parts. A winning combination.

I really liked Scarlett Jo’s husband too he says, “I watch people. I take in people. And to be honest, I learn a great deal about them by what they don’t say.”

I highly recommend this novel and the non-fiction companion book called Reclaiming your Heart! It’s a win win combination. A book you’ll want to put on your summer reading list. Did I mention I just love the cover of this book too! It’s a keeper!

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent

TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!

Miranda Parker's A Good Excuse to be Bad ~ Reviewed

A Good Excuse to be Bad

By Miranda Parker

Published by Kensington Publishers Corp

ISBN#978-0-7582-5950-9

323 Pages

Back Cover:

REVIEW: I enjoyed the review copy of this novel for a number of reasons. First, Angel, the main character is feisty, a tough, smart single mom. She was a bounty hunter with a few tricks up her sleeves. I liked her honesty and spunk. Angel was trying to do the best for her and her daughter. A bail recovery agent was hard work but she also didn’t have to punch a clock from 9-5p.m.

Second reason I liked this book is Angel’s honesty about the church and her life. She knows it’s best to be there, but she sits on the back pew ready to run out the door as soon as the sermon was over. She liked Jesus and all but it was the Christians she had issues with. Especially the ones at her sister’s mega church where her brother-in-law was the pastor. Her twin sister referred to her husband as, “the Bishop…any woman who refers to her husband as a job title had issues!” Angel tried to tell her sister something wasn’t quite right with that church but she didn’t listen. Her sister distanced herself from her and the entire family, which is never good.

Angel had been a reporter and did a story on her sisters Mega Church and how they used their money. That’s when troubles started between her sister and her husband, the Bishop.

Angel was fun to read about, and I enjoyed her search for God, love and her search for a way to support her child that wasn’t so dangerous.

She sat on the back pew for another reason, the Pastor. She liked what Justus had to say but, “His words, his tone of judgment in them was why she sat on the back pew in the first place… I wanted to wrestle my own demons in my own time, especially what happened to Bella’s daddy.” Another reason she didn’t want to talk with Justus personally was the way she felt about him. She wanted to stay clear away from feelings like that for a man. She wasn’t pastor’s wife material.  Her feelings would pass, they had to. No way was she going to love someone with her whole heart and have them die on her again.

Miranda Parker pens a fun, suspenseful story with a smart strong single mom doing her best to provide for her daughter Bella. This author takes the reader on a mysterious ride as she keeps them guessing as to who killed a prominent religious leader in their community.

I enjoyed the suspense and the cat and mouse game Justus and Angel played with each other. Justus wants to help Angel in her investigation into the murder of a pastor! That’s where the fun begins!

This book leaves the reader hanging and waiting for Book two. Where you’ll know who sent the note Angel reads at the end of the book and how it just might lead her to Bella’s daddy, Gabe’s murderer. Readers won’t have to wait too ling. The Sequel is called, Someone Bad, Something Blue out July 2012, from Daphne Books.

Nora St.Laurent

The Book Club Network

www.bookfun.org

SAHM I AM ~ reviewed

SAHM I AM
Meredith Efken
ISBN: 0-373-78551-8
Publisher: Steeple Hill









Reviewed by Vennessa Ng:

Are you a stay-at-home mum? Do you often feel lonely, discouraged, driven crazy?

Then pick up a copy of Meredith Efken’s debut novel and lose yourself in the lives of the women who belong to the SAHM I AM e-mail loop.

Scattered across America, these women share their joys and tears through e-mail, drawing support and encouragement from one another.

Through a sub-loop called Green Eggs and Ham, we learn of five women and their struggles. There’s Dulcie, whose husband who is constantly on out-of-town job assignments and a mother-in-law whose wedding is turning into a stage show. Artistic Zelia’s desire for her children to express themselves is threatened by her husband’s decision for them to attend school. Jocelyn is heartbroken when her son can’t seem to shake normal childhood pains. Brenna must come to grips with farm life and her husband’s desire for children. Completing the group is Phyllis, the pastor’s wife whose youthful mistakes resurface to threaten her family’s security.

Let’s not forget loop moderator Rosalyn and her sister, Veronica. Their insufferable relationship prompts many of Rosalyn’s weekly topics for the e-mail loop. Will Veronica's latest bid for attention destroy the last fragments of their relationship?

SAHM I AM is a laugh a minute. But don’t get too comfortable; just as you settle into the fun pace of the story, Meredith turns things around and touches sensitive subjects.

I found Meredith’s e-mail message format refreshing. It effectively pulled me into the lives of the characters, cutting away use of description and narrative. The clever dialogue gives the story a more intimate feel. The lack of chapter breaks also makes the book very hard to put down.

As a stay-at-home mom myself, I would recommend this book to any woman who chooses to remain home with her young children. The issues these women face ring true for any stay-at-home mom. Their stories will touch your heart to reveal the power of friendship via cyberspace, and this book may leave you longing for your own SAHM I AM e-mail loop.

Courtney Walsh's A Sweethaven Homecoming ~ Reviewed

A SWEETHAVEN HOMECOMING 
Courtney Walsh
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Guideposts Books (August 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0824931718

Description:

The Sweethaven Circle is back -- and so is a friend they thought they'd never see again!
The women of Sweethaven are enjoying an Indian summer when their old friend -- the missing member of their scrapbook circle -- arrives back home. Meghan Rhodes has moved on with her life, leaving Sweethaven and its painful memories in the past. But when her ex files for custody of their twins, she takes the first flight back to the beach town full of haunting memories. Meghan wants to make things right with her ex-husband, her children, and the friends she'd convinced herself she no longer needed. But is she too late? Meghan works with friends Jane, Lila, Adele, and Campbell to begin a new scrapbook for memories yet to be made. Picking up where A Sweethaven Summer left off, A Sweethaven Homecoming explores the strong bonds of friendship, the power of forgiveness, and the importance of unconditional love.

Review:

A Sweethaven Homecoming revolves around a group of women who used to spend a lot of time together scrapbooking who have grown apart, but come back together again, amidst trials and tribulations.  Meghan, who has been a successful country star, returns to try to get custody of her children, whom she abandoned two years previously, while trying to avoid her feelings that she still has for her ex-husband.  Jane, a Pastor’s wife, realizes she hasn’t learned forgiveness when Meghan shows up, as Jane’s son, Alex, drowned tragically while in Meghan’s care.  Lila returns to get away from her husband, Tom, whom she has found out fathered a child with her best friend, Suzanne, twenty five years ago.  Campbell, his daughter, now wants to be in their lives and get to know them, and Lila doesn’t know if she can trust him again.

Once I got into this book, I really enjoyed it.  It took a while to keep the characters straight as I hadn’t read the previous book.  And each chapter begins with the character’s name who’s perspective it’s being told from.  That, I did enjoy.  It’s nice for a change not having to see the whole story from one person’s point of view.  I really liked how everything came together at the end and the way the characters were reconciled to each other.  It was a very heartwarming story!
 
Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers

Patti Lacy's The Rhythm of Secrets ~ Reviewed

The Rhythm of Secrets
By: Patti Lacy
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 320
Vendor: Kregel Publications
ISBN: 082542674X

Description:

Sheila Franklin has lived three separate lives. Now a conservative pastor's wife in Chicago, she is skilled at hiding secrets--a talent birthed during childhood romps through the music-filled streets of New Orleans. But when the son she bore at the age of eighteen comes back looking for answers and desperate for help, her greatest secret--and greatest regret--is revealed.


Review:

Patti Lacy ably tells the story of Sheba/Sheila/Sylvia in bits and pieces as the grown-up Sheila is contacted by a young soldier from her past. As she tells him her story and he shares his struggles, the interconnected story weaves through generations and across cultures and continents.

This is a high emotion and intensity novel covering themes like prostitution, marital struggles, and racism. Sensitive readers may want to think twice before diving in but those who like complex, woven stories may want to look further into the depth of these secrets.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Bonus Review:

The Rhythym of Secrets is certainly not your typical Christian novel! I look forward to reading more books by Patti Lacy. This book paints a beautiful picture of the redemption story and covers many difficult topics such as prostitution, unplanned pregnancy, underhanded 'business', commitment in marriage, and many other things often kept as dark secrets. It combines mystery and intrigue with romance, heartbreak, and true love. I especially enjoyed how Patti used different styles of music to serve as the 'soundtrack' for parts of Sheilas life, making the many transitions more coherent and smooth. I really can't describe it any better....you really need to just read this book, you won't regret it.

Reviewed by: Rachael Schnitker

Stacy Hawkins Adams' Nothing but the Right Thing~Reviewed

Nothing but the Right Thing
By: Stacy Hawkins Adams
Published by: Revell
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3097-0

Life seems sweet for Serena McDaniels. She has a handsome husband, a beautiful home, and a job she loves.

But there are two things she can’t get out of her mind—the children she craves and a best friend trapped in an abusive marriage. With two miscarriages already, Serena’s not sure her dream of motherhood will ever come true. She can’t help her friend, Erika, leave Elliot behind without jeopardizing her own safety. And she watches helplessly as her husband, Micah, struggles for answers to a personal dilemma.

Can Serena trust God to lead her life and the lives of her loved ones—no matter what?

Stacy Hawkins Adams addresses the hard-core non-fiction of real life in her fictional novel, Nothing but the Right Thing. Her real character’s struggle with real problems demonstrates the need we all have for God’s guidance through the junk life so often presents.

As a pastor’s wife, I easily related to Serena and Micah. I praise God we’ve never been voted out of a church, but we know pastors who have. Standing in obedience to God can get tough, but those who do are blessed by Him. Micah shows us that humility and integrity are honorable if not always popular. His wife, Serena, refuses to put on airs and recognizes her own spiritual shortcomings. Like Micah, her heart is for God, and she obeys even when her greatest desire becomes her greatest sacrifice.

Serena’s best friend, Erika, discovers that God loves her enough to pick up the pieces of her broken life and put them back together in such a way that the end result is a life filled with creativity and joy.

Nothing but the Right Thing inspires faith, hope and a renewed passion for God’s calling.

Reviewed by Terri Thompson

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen's Pastors' Wives ~ Reviewed

Pastors' Wives: A Novel
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Plume; 1 edition (April 30, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0452298822 

 

 

Description:

 

What’s it like when the man you married is already married to God? asks Pastors’ Wives, an often surprising yet always emotionally true first novel set in a world most of us know only from the outside.

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen’s debut novel Pastors’ Wives follows three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch. Ruthie follows her Wall Street husband from New York to Magnolia, a fictional suburb of Atlanta, when he hears a calling to serve at a megachurch called Greenleaf. Reeling from the death of her mother, Ruthie suffers a crisis of faith—in God, in her marriage, and in herself. Candace is Greenleaf’s “First Lady,” a force of nature who’ll stop at nothing to protect her church and her superstar husband. Ginger, married to Candace’s son, struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past. All their roads collide in one chaotic event that exposes their true selves. Inspired by Cullen’s reporting as a staff writer for Time magazine, Pastors’ Wives is a dramatic portrayal of the private lives of pastors’ wives, caught between the demands of faith, marriage, duty, and love.

Review:

When I received Pastor's Wives by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, I had my guard up against stereotyped and caricatured portrayal. I was so wrong! Cullen, a former foreign correspondent and staff writer for TIME magazine, reveals a remarkable depth of truth and strength of character within the women of Pastor's Wives. I was captivated by their stories, cheered them on as friends, and was terribly disappointed when it ended. Novel Rocket and I give it our highest recommendation. This is a must read for everyone who attends a church.

Reviewed by: Ane Mulligan, Sr. editor

Novel Rocket